News

Men's Basketball League Signups

2007-10-21T20:23:00.000-04:00

If you missed the sign ups for the Men’s Basketball League but wish to play, please call Carl Herde, 491-1021, Jim Thorne, 261-7424 or Dink Hortsman, 479-9859 ASAP. You must be a registered member of the parish and at least 32 years old as of Feb 1, 2008. Fee is $50. (Open gym will be held the 1st three Sundays in November from 7:00 to 9:00).

Men's Basketball League Signups

2007-10-05T07:31:00.000-04:00

Sign ups for the Men’s Basketball League will be held at the A.Men Club meeting, Thursday, October 18 beginning at 7:30. You must be a registered member of the parish and at least 32 years old as of Feb 1, 2008. Fee is $50. Any questions call Carl Herde, 491-1021, Jim Thorne, 261-7424 or Dink Hortsman, 479-9859.

Basketball Signups

2007-10-01T13:01:00.001-04:00

It’s that time of year again. Basketball signups for boys and girls grades 3 through 8.

October 15th and 16th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the vestibule of the gym.

If you have a uniform from last year, please bring your number.

Coaches needed at all levels.

Sign-ups received after October 29th may not be accepted.

Girls, if interested, contact Steve Peake at 266-9342.

Boys, if interested, contact Robert Horstman at 479-9859.

Oscar Brohm speaks at A.Men club Father-Son breakfast

2007-05-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

On April 29, Oscar Brohm was the guest speaker at the annual Father-Son breakfast at Ascension, sponsored by A.Men, the Ascension Men's club.

An excellent crowd enjoyed the good food and the speaker. Oscar gave an entertaining talk, featuring the childhood (and adult) antics of his three sons, Greg, Jeff, and Brian. He gave a important message about fathers spending time with their sons, whether in sports or not. He encouraged the sons to be willing to spend time with their fathers, as it may not sound like it, but it could even be fun!

Oscar brought along some memorabilia from each of the boys, and they all were available for autographs afterwards. Click here for a page of thumbnail images (or go to http://www.ascension-parish.com/fatherson.html); then, click on the thumbnail to see the high resolution picture, suitable for downloading and/or printing at your nearby photo print service.

Special thanks to the women and the girls that helped with cooking and serving the crowd -- we appreciate all you do for us!

Snow Causes School to be on delayed schedule

2007-02-01T06:14:00.000-05:00

Today, we'll be on a delayed schedule, opening two hours late. Please see the school handbook for details. In general, all school delays and/or closings are posted on the following web site:

http://www.whas11.com/closings/

Safe Environment Program Training

2007-01-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

For any coaches or school volunteers who have not attended the Safe Environment Program, the Archdiocese is bringing the program to St Pius in the Community Center (gym) on February 10 at 10:00 am. No registration is required.

Men's basketball signups

2006-10-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Sign ups for the Men’s Basketball League will be held at the A.Men Club meeting, Thursday, October 19 beginning at 7:30. You must be a registered member of the parish and at least 32 years old as of Feb 1, 2007. Fee is $45. Any questions call Carl Herde, 491-1021, Jim Thorne, 261-7424 or Dink Hortsman, 479-9859.

Boys' Basketball Tryouts, Monday 11/6, Tuesday, 11/7

2006-10-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

Basketball Tryouts for Boys!

MONDAY 11/6 TUESDAY11/7

3rd/4th Grade: 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
5th/6th Grade: 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM
7th/8th Grade: 8:30 PM – 9:45 PM

Reminder: no sign-ups accepted after 10/28.

All players need to attend both nights of tryouts.

If you have any old uniforms that you can donate please bring them to tryouts. Coaches still needed at all levels.

Basketball Signups!

2006-09-27T22:17:00.001-04:00

It’s that time of year again.

Basketball signups for boys and girls grades 3 through 8.

October 9th and 10th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the cafeteria.

If you have a uniform from last year please bring your number.

Coaches needed at all levels.

Sign-ups received after October 29th may not be accepted.

Girls if interested contact Steve Peake at 266-9342.

Boys if interested contact Robert Horstman at 479-9859.

Links to the Singapore Math information

2006-06-05T21:07:00.000-04:00

On Monday, June 6, an "Overview of Singapore Math", was presented by Richard Bisk in the library at Ascension. It is a teaching method that we will be using for the coming school year. There were several online resources mentioned at the meeting. I promised to place them online, so here they are:

http://wwwfac.worcester.edu/smip
Richard's site that contains great resources, additional information, and other links related to Singapore math.

http://www.singaporemath.com
Site from which you may order books.

http://www.air.org/news/documents/Singapore%20Report%20(Bookmark%20version).pdf
A report titled "What the United States can Learn From Singapore's World Class Mathematics System". In particular, Richard recommended looking on Page 146 of the document for "Exhibit 7–1. Outcomes of Singapore Mathematics Pilot Sites".

A.Men Club Father/Son Breakfast

2006-05-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, May 21st we will have a Father/Son Breakfast following the 8:30 Mass. Our guest speaker is Gary Montgomery, Sportscaster for WDRB. Although there has not been an Ascension Father/Son breakfast for some time, it has deep roots that go back to the 60’s or early 70’s. We encourage you to make every effort to attend and spend this quality time with your father, grandfather, or son. Friends and neighbors are welcome.

Donations will be accepted at the door to defray the cost of the breakfast.

Please advise if you plan to attend and the number in your party by emailing mg.grether@insightbb.com or by calling George Grether at 459-9923.

Stewardship Letter, April 17, 2006

2006-04-18T16:40:00.001-04:00

April 17, 2006

Dear Ascension Parishioners:

Eight weeks ago, Ascension decided to remain a parish with its own school. The leadership communicated that in order to continue funding our school ministry through stewardship contributions; we need sufficient pledges to support a balanced budget. To our parish families who have remained current or are ahead of their pledges for this year, thank you! To our parish families who have increased their pledges for next year, we also thank you.

We find ourselves at a crossroads. By May 1, if we have not received sufficient stewardship pledges to support a balanced budget, we will institute a tuition program for the parish school.

This is our current situation (as of April 10):

Current stewardship contributions for the 2005/2006 fiscal year are behind over $100,000.
Stewardship pledges received to date for the 2006/2007 fiscal year are $300,000 short.
21 school families have not returned stewardship forms.
62 families (~35% of school families) pledged amounts greater than the forecasted tuition
67 school families (~ 40%) pledged between $1 - $2000 below tuition costs for 2006/2007
42 school families (~25%) pledged more than $2,000 below tuition costs for 2006/2007
314 non-school families (47%) have not returned stewardship forms.
Our budget for 2006/2007 requires a modest increase for salaries, utilities, and instructional supplies.

To clarify:

To continue as full stewardship: If 2006 pledges are caught up and fulfilled and if 2007 pledges increase by at least $300,000 to achieve a balanced budget, we can continue to finance all parish ministries through stewardship contributions. Fulfillment of pledges is the key factor. Stewardship contributions may be tax deductible. Consult your tax advisor.
Switching to a tuition plan: If we are unable to present a balanced budget with projected stewardship contributions, we will finance the school ministry through tuition. Financial aid will be available for qualified families. Our current projected tuition rates for this fall are:

$4,200 one child = $81 per week
$6,300 two children = $121 per week
$7,350 3+ children = $141 per week

We are asking all parish families to prayerfully consider increasing their pledges for next year to eliminate the projected $300,000 deficit. If you have not yet submitted your stewardship form for next year, please do so immediately. If you decide to increase your pledge for next year, please return the enclosed form in the collection basket at Mass, drop off at the Parish Office or mail to the Parish Office. Our decision will be based on information we receive no later than May 1, 2006. If we decide switch from full stewardship to a tuition plan, families will have the opportunity to revise their stewardship pledges. Our decision will be announced early in May.

Let us all pray for guidance of the Holy Spirit as we continue to plan for the future of the Ascension community.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Gary PadgettPastor

Parish Council: Tim Finney (chair), Rosemary Cavanaugh, Scott Floore, Sarah Gorman, Dan Hans, Dave Hodge, Bruce Kramer, Paul Sagun, Tom Simms, Cathie Young

Finance Committee: Scott Evans (chair), Matt Duddy, Theresa Garrett, Bruce Jackal, Laura Kinney, Rick Knepfler, Troy McCracken, Kelle Shircliff, Rick Turnock, Dan Walter, Jeff Weis

School Board: Margie Barito (president), Mary Jo Ellis, Rafael Fernandez, Sarah Gorman, Dana Hodge, Kim Mann, Diane Ritter, Lela Spears, Joan Steurer, Mary Ann Tompkins, Barry Williams

Stewardship Committee: Gina Allen, Joe Barito, Betty Bramer, Steve Daniels, Mike Delvisco, Jim Fleischer, Carleen Herde, Susan Howard, Joe Hughes, Ben Miles, Karen Morris, Missey Mussler, Ed O’Rourke, Tammy Peake, Diane Schmidt, Tom Schmitt, Steve Spears, Tom Wagner, Linda Weber, Andrea Weihe, Debbie White

Attention Ascension Newsletter

2006-03-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Click on the link below to see the Attention Ascension March 2006 Newsletter!

http://www.ascension-parish.com/Ascension-MarchLR.pdf

Official Announcement Regarding The 2006-2007 School Year

2006-02-17T09:14:00.000-05:00

From: Gary Padgett [mailto:gpadgett@ascension-parish.com]
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 9:07 AM

It is the consensus of the leadership of our community to decline the invitation to join St. Barnabas, St. Bartholomew, and St. Pius in a new regional school. We will continue to operate our parish school as a ministry of the Church of the Ascension next year. This decision was arrived at after prayer, consultation with the Archdiocese and neighboring parishes, consultation with our parishioners, and then considerable debate and discussion among the leadership.

This decision may become an issue of interest to our local media. I have required all staff to make no comment to the media and to refer the media to Cecelia Price, spokesperson for the Archdiocese.

As I told the parish community last evening, I will enthusiastically support the consensus decision of the parish leadership and I look forward to doing so. Our stewardship renewal campaign begins this weekend. It is essential that our membership respond generously and promptly. We need accurate information on pledging of time, talent, and treasure by the first of March. Our leadership will join me in doing everything in our power to see that this happens. Please come to Mass this weekend and receive your materials and return them to us.

Furthermore, our $70,000 shortfall in pledged contributions must be made up as soon as possible. While the period for pledge fulfillment does not end until June 30, the leadership will rely only on the amount of fulfilled pledges to date in deciding whether or not to implement a tuition plan for the upcoming school year. It is our intention to announce a tuition plan (if one is needed) no later than the first week of March. This is necessary because the deadline for application for financial aid from the Archdiocese is March 15. At the moment however, tuition is required only for those who are not members, those who are in their first year of membership and those who did not fulfill their stewardship pledge last year. Those who do not fulfill their stewardship pledge by June 30, 2006 will be required to pay tuition next year.

If you are having problems fulfilling your pledge now, please contact Theresa Garrett in our office immediately. We will confidentially and discreetly work with you.

I am pledging my public support for the three parishes who are seeking to form a regional school and I am asking us to do the same. While we have decided not to join them in this effort, we wish them success as they seek to provide Catholic education for the children entrusted to them.

This message is being sent to the entire parish community for whom we have an accurate e-mail address. The leadership of the parish appear in your distribution list. The regular members of the parish have been sent a blind carbon copy to maintain the privacy of your email address.

On behalf of the parish and school staff and parish leadership, I look forward to our continued growth as a stewardship community.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Gary Padgett
Pastor

Important Town Hall Meeting Regarding Regional School

2006-02-14T13:30:00.001-05:00

TOWN HALL MEETING

Thursday, February 16, 2006

7:00 P.M. in Church

St. Barnabas, St. Pius and St. Bartholomew have formally requested permission from the Archbishop to close their schools and open a new regional school in August, 2006. Our parish leadership wants to present the information that we know about this proposal to our entire parish and to hear your thoughts and reactions to it before we make a decision to join or not join them in this effort. There will be a short informative presentation followed by discussion in small groups to give every person an opportunity to have their opinion heard. This issue affects our entire community, not only our families with children in the school. Please join us in the church on Thursday evening.

Link to School Closings

2006-01-18T06:47:00.000-05:00

To obtain the latest on school closings, see the following link:

http://www.whas11.com/closings/

As of the time of this posting, we are on a delay schedule this morning.

Letter to parishoners

2006-01-12T11:22:00.000-05:00

The letter below was sent to all registered parishoners. For school families, it was sent through school. For non-school families, it was mailed to their home address. A survey was sent with the letter.

*******************************

January 9, 2006

Dear Parishioners,

As was mentioned this weekend, here is the survey we are sending for INFORMATION GATHERING PURPOSES only.

The pastors of the BBAMP parishes have been in conversation for quite some time about the possibility of regionalizing some of our schools. Two years ago the parish councils and other leaders of our parishes did a study of the demographics of our parishes. We looked at trends of the past five years regarding the parish membership, baptism rates, kindergarten enrollment, grade by grade student population, and other records. We then projected out five years in the future to see where our enrollment would be.

What became apparent was that Ascension, St. Barnabas, St. Bartholomew and St. Pius X schools are declining in enrollment. They are still healthy, and each parish is taking responsible steps to help our schools remain available, affordable, and of the highest possible quality. Our principals are working together to share ideas, resources, and staff to help us provide a solid Catholic education to students of all our parishes.

When we saw the regional school develop in the St. Denis, St. Helen, and St. Lawrence parishes, we asked ourselves, “Is this something we need to be looking at here?” That is all we are doing at this point. We have made no decisions. We are only asking the important questions that will help us make the most informed decision we can for the future of our Catholic students and their parents. We have asked Fr. Joe Atcher, director of the Office of Lifelong Formation and Education for the Archdiocese, to advise us in this process. He recommended surveying our parishes.

Please complete the enclosed survey and return it to your parish by January 20th via the Sunday collection, mail, or parish or school office. It is very important that we hear back from you. We thank God and pray for you daily.

In Christ,

Fr. Gary Padgett, Fr. Wayne Jenkins, Fr. Peter Quan Do, Fr. Chuck Walker

7th and 8th Grade mixer this Saturday, January 14.

2006-01-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

There will be a mixer for 7th and 8th grade students this Saturday, January 14, from 7:30 to 10:30 at Ascension gym.

There will be a pre-sale of tickets on Friday, from 3:00pm until 3:30pm in the gathering space.

Eucharistic Bread Recipe added to site

2006-01-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

The recipe for bread bakers has been added. Click on Minister Schedules, and then you can link to the bread recipe

Joy Sunday

2005-12-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

CELEBRATE JOY

The third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete “ Sunday, which means “Rejoice”.
The Stewardship Committee invites you to come celebrate all the good things happening at Ascension on December 10/11, 2005.

This weekend we will offer cookies following the 5:30 Mass on Saturday and coffee & doughnuts on Sunday following each Mass.
The “Prezettes” girls chorus from Presentation Academy will lead & sing the 10:30 Mass. We are excited to have them here.

Enjoy fellowship as you visit with other parishioners.
Count the many joyful blessings we can celebrate at Ascension.

Special Guest appearing for the kids after the 10:30 am Mass.

Regarding Rumors... statement from Father Gary read at the weekend masses

2005-07-17T15:39:00.000-04:00

I am aware there continue to be rumors circulating regarding the creation of a regional Catholic school in the Hikes Point area. These rumors are incorrect. While the BBAMP pastors, our principals and our parish councils are continuing our conversations about the best way to ensure the long term success of Catholic education in the Hikes Point area, no decisions regarding a regional school have been made, nor are we close to making such a decision. Some rumors mention a 2006 date for opening a regional school. These rumors are also incorrect. At this point, it is safe to say that a regional school in the Hikes Point area in 2006 is very unlikely. While it is virtually impossible to stop rumors from spreading, I will do my best to keep our community fully informed with accurate information.

The most important thing we can do at Ascension is to continue our successful effort to "Invest in Ascension" by continuing the successful programs already in place, such as Kroger gift cards and careful attention to fulfilling stewardship pledges. We will also begin a new initiative to prepare a five year plan for our parish and school community to ensure our parish and our school will be the very best they can be. As we begin this planning process, I ask everyone to think and pray about the answer to this question: "What is our dream for our parish and school community for the next five years?"

Marine Sgt. David Neil Wimberg '95 dies in Iraq

2005-05-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

Please keep in your prayers the family of David Wimberg, a 1995 graduate of Ascension, who was killed in Iraq in service to our country. David was very much a part of the Ascension community growing up here, and his death is a tragedy for his family and a terrible loss for all who knew and loved him, including those in the Ascension Community. To read more, see the articles in the Courier-Journal from May 26 and May 27, or the obituary here.

Stewardship Renewal Update

2005-04-07T22:55:00.000-04:00

As of April 7, 2005, 551 stewardship forms have been turned in. This represents 61% of our parish. If you have not returned your stewardship form to the parish office, please do so at your earliest convenience. We are currently working on the budget and need this information to complete the process. All ministries of the parish are supported and funded through the time, talent and treasure of our parish families. Your participation does make a difference.

Latest Information on "Invest In Ascension"

2005-04-05T22:54:00.000-04:00

As of April 5, 2005 we have received $94,809.05 from 313 families. On the weekend of April 23/24, following all masses, we will have a special Thank You to all those who "invested" in Ascension. Our goal is to have 100 % participation from families giving whatever they can. Every little bit helps to reduce our deficit. We are definitely making progress. If you have not had an opportunity to use your blue envelope, it is not too late. If you have lost your envelope, please write "Invest In Ascension" on the memo line of your check.

Yet Another Invest in Ascension Update

2005-03-29T22:53:00.000-05:00

The new total for Invest in Ascension is $88,816.05 Thank you for your generous stewardship!